Yep that didn't take very long for the papers to grab their baby bottle for safe assumptions. My paper came through my letterbox today and I sighed when I saw the front page article;

Extra Image to show I didn't embellish the thread titlePHA+PGltZyBzcmM9Imh0dHA6Ly9pMjEzLnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvY2MxNTkvdGF1NjAwL0V2ZXJ0aGluZyUyMGVsc2UvYjAyYmM2OGEuanBnIiBhbHQ9ImltYWdlIi8+PC9wPg==

"Sometimes when he was supposed to be reading a paper or something like that, I would see him playing online role-playing games like World Of Warcraft and League of Legends"

And that is the only sentance in a 3 page spread on the article that mentions anything about video games.

So what do you think? Are you going to go out on a rampage from playing WoW? Or are the newspapers jumping on their usual bandwagon again?

Oh and the paper helped the issue by dubbing him the "Warped Knight". Yeah cause that's what he needs, a name to remember him by.

I was compelled to do something violent due to driving day to day then due to anything in video games. I would like to say this forum is going to be bias I think most people are going to say it's stupid.

People are always going to look for something to blame for this kind of crime, we always want a reason rather than believing that it was just a random act of disgusting brutality.

We don't know what triggered the attack yet but if he was an avid golf player they'd probably tie that in there too.

Maybe they did have some kind of influence or role to play, I'm not saying they're to blame or that it wouldn't have happened if he didn't play them but every trigger is worth considering with something like this.

Man the media really are beating a dead horse, can they REALLY not come up with anything better? Not only are they engraving his name in history but they're blaming something completely irrelevant, they may as well blamed DC for creating batman in the first place.

I'd like to think that, at this point, we'd be mature enough to just roll our eyes and move on. I mean, this is the sun we're talking about here. They print distorted facts, hearsay and outright bullshit on a daily basis. This really isn't the first thing they've done it over, nor is it the most important. Here, let me give you a few examples.

There's a LOT of 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

That paper looks like the Sun or Mirror. I'm not surprised, they're nearly as bad as the DM.

About 12 hours after it all happened I was reading articles on the web that people on CNN were blaming video games. I just ignore such accusations now, plus we don't know exactly what triggered him to do what he did.

It wasn't true when I was just a boy reading about Mortal Kombat. It wasn't true the too-fucking-many times since then. Why would anyone keep trying when it's still not true?

It's not true because you can't make it happen!

Every study on video games - provided the data hasn't been skewed (like in Luxembourg) - is largly inconclusive on the matter. You can make excitement, you can make adrenaline, you can even make them angry...but it hasn't made them go on a rampage. That horse can see the water fine. He just won't drink.

The people who commit crimes (especially violence) that would indicate some connection to a game are either {A} going out and doing it because they have a mental issue that had them screwed up from the get-go or are {B} lying, like the jerk who claimed to use video games to learn how to fire a gun. Laugh riot, that. It's as equally stupid to say that because he likes hot dogs and ate a hot dog before committing murder that hot dogs are to blame.

No, he's just a frigging lunatic. Who else would travel out in the dead of night just to ruin someone's movie time with a hail of gunfire? What was the point? Do they even bother with them now or is it House of Leaves where you have to figure that shit out yourself?

It wasn't true when I was just a boy reading about Mortal Kombat. It wasn't true the too-fucking-many times since then. Why would anyone keep trying when it's still not true?

It's not true because you can't make it happen!

Every study on video games - provided the data hasn't been skewed (like in Luxembourg) - is largly inconclusive on the matter. You can make excitement, you can make adrenaline, you can even make them angry...but it hasn't made them go on a rampage. That horse can see the water fine. He just won't drink.

The people who commit crimes (especially violence) that would indicate some connection to a game are either {A} going out and doing it because they have a mental issue that had them screwed up from the get-go or are {B} lying, like the jerk who claimed to use video games to learn how to fire a gun. Laugh riot, that. It's as equally stupid to say that because he likes hot dogs and ate a hot dog before committing murder that hot dogs are to blame.

No, he's just a frigging lunatic. Who else would travel out in the dead of night just to ruin someone's movie time with a hail of gunfire? What was the point? Do they even bother with them now or is it House of Leaves where you have to figure that shit out yourself?

Well there is a correlation between mass killers enjoying violent media, but it's akin to saying heart disease people eat a lot of fast food. Does eating a lot of fast food guarantee someone a heart attack? No, but it's certainly a risk factor.

Well there is a correlation between mass killers enjoying violent media, but it's akin to saying heart disease people eat a lot of fast food. Does eating a lot of fast food guarantee someone a heart attack? No, but it's certainly a risk factor.

That's where the inconclusive part comes in. You have the close-but-not-really part there, but the thing they're mistaking is that it's not because of the violent video games making violent people. It's just that people who are prone to violence like the video games that have violence in them. The violence was always there. The game didn't magically make it appear. That is why in the years of this dragging on and on, in and out, it never comes to fruition.

That's it. They crossed the fucking line here. I could accept the columbine killers were big doom fans, a complete idiot could thnk that it's connected. I could accept that maybe the norway shooter convinced himself that Call of duty was good target practice, as the guy could probably convince himself that the clouds are inhabited by purple clones of 80s metal bands.

This? This is fucking wrong. They've taken a completely unrelated tragedy and connected it to videogames, just for their damn agenda. This isn't just lies against videogames, this is an insult to the people affected. This cannot be allowed, they have to be punished for this, fined, fired, imprisoned, whatever, this shit cannot be tolerated. It's lies, blatant lies, and I can't believe we've gotten to the point where a newspaper can do that and expect to get away with it not just like they did nothing wrong, but like nothing happened at all.

Honestly, I don't know what I would've done without violent videogames. I'm a fairly aggressive person, and repeatedly, the world gives me reason to think I'm on my damn own, that violence is the only option. That's when I play some videogames and calm down, what the hell would happen if I didn't have that? I'm not fit enough to do an aggressive sport and I've never been, will never be, good at sports. Some poor bank clerk, one of my teachers doing something stupid, some random guy in the street who picked the wrong day to be an asshole, somebody would eventually get it, all if I didn't have that outlet.

FalloutJack:That's where the inconclusive part comes in. You have the close-but-not-really part there, but the thing they're mistaking is that it's not because of the violent video games making violent people. It's just that people who are prone to violence like the video games that have violence in them. The violence was always there. The game didn't magically make it appear. That is why in the years of this dragging on and on, in and out, it never comes to fruition.

I don't buy that some people are just naturally violent. There has to be environmental factors. Now, saying that cultural elements like videogames are responsible for this or that is nonsense, but they can be a factor, surely.

This is beyond retarded. The fact is he was doing this because of a movie the 2 games listed aren't even batman related. This guy obviously had a few marbles loose so no I'm not blaming the movies either, but really how far will people stretch to say video games cause all problems.

See, here's the problem with gun laws. I can see hunting rifles being legal for people with hunting licenses. I can see revolvers and even some low power semi-auto handguns being legal for self defense. But when you legalize semi-automatic rifles you basically let civilians outgun the average security guard. Have you ever walked in the streets, seen a guy with ar-15 and thought to yourself: "Yeah, that's a valid choice for self defense".

Seriously handguns is one thing, but why the hell are ASSULT RIFLES legal? Citizens won't be carrying those around in self defence

Assault rifles are only legal in the US if they have been registered before May 1986. They are very hard to come buy.

The AR-15 is not an assault rifle. The "AR" doesn't stand for "assault rifle", it stands for Armalite, the company that makes them.

This is an AR15, the sort of rifle that was used.

This is an assault rifle, specifically a M16A4

They are very different.

Both could be classed as assault rifles*. Both are gas-operated, both use the standard nato 5.56 round. Both, when sold to the public, are limited to semi-auto and limited magazine capacity.

The fact that the AR-15 is billed as a sporting rifle doesn't alter the similarities between the two. I've seen both hung on a wall in a gun shop in New Zealand, and they even had similar price tags!

What confuses me though is that if you want to shoot a deer, why not use a 5.56mm firing weapon that's far more suited to the job, such as a Swedish Mauser 5.56 bolt-action with a decent scope?

*Yes, the M16 has a fire-select switch. But I wasn't aware that non-military peeps were allowed fully automatic weapons.

I am with you on not using an AR-15 for deer, I would prefer to use a larger round, they can bleed out for a long time (which doesn't sound like any fun for the deer), you have to walk a long way to chase it down if your shot is off, and you might even lose the bugger putting it through a lot for nothing. It's definitely accurate enough to be up for the job and scopes can be mounted on them easily. It is, however, my favorite coyote hunting weapon.

It also happens to be my home defense weapon and if you learn a little about ballistics and choose appropriate ammunition you'll find it's ideal for such a purpose.

The term assault rifle is rather a misnomer. Basically in legal terms in the United States it means the gun looks scary.

"Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following:Folding or telescoping stockPistol gripBayonet mountFlash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate oneGrenade launcher (more precisely, a muzzle device which enables the launching or firing of rifle grenades, though this applies only to muzzle mounted grenade launchers and not those which are mounted externally)"It's a wikipedia quote but it's largely accurate.

Not much of this actually makes it deadlier, in fact none of it does, it just looks like a military weapon that possesses automatic fire.

However when you question the average military personnel about what they consider an assault weapon they're generally thinking of a squad automatic weapon m249/m240b. Basically something that fires full auto and has belt fed ammunition designed to produce cover fire for small unit tactics or hold a position. It's also black and scary looking so those who don't know anything about weaponry are easily persuaded that other weapons are also these weapons.

Now yes, as an American citizen you can own one of these weapons however you have to register with the ATF at rather exorbitant costs and can be prosecuted for moving without notifying them of your address change.

I read the title and I now want to murder anyone who was even related to writing it.

"THAT'S BECAUSE OF VIDE-"Sorry folks, had to kill that person. Anyway, just because a VIOLENT person plays VIOLENT games, DOES NOT mean the games caused it. Think about it. I like Space Marines. I like playing games with Space Marines in them.

Violent people like violence. They like games with violence in them. This means VIOLENT people are drawn to VIOLENT games.

And also... Since when in the hell was World of Warcraft violent? All I remember was flashy cartoon colours!

Jezzascmezza:Why must the media hate video games so much? It's getting out of hand the number of times video games are blamed for influencing awful crimes

They don't hate video games, but since there are next to no politicians lobbying for them and because it's the most recent Bug-Bear of the community, (Violent TV, MTV, Rock and Roll, TV in general, Radio etc...) spreading these claims is the quickest way to sell newspapers.

OT: Surprise surprise.Now we wait for people to definitively prove that that is not the case and then be ignored, after that we are going to get some eyewitness testimony on some network's payroll to say that he yelled "For the Horde!" before doing the shooting.